Today I am writing in honor of the Autism Positivity Flashblog 2013! Proudly partnered with a wonderful group of bloggers, I have been working behind the scenes to help organize this production. This year’s theme is “1000 Ausome Things about Autism,” which is an attempt to focus on and accumulate positive aspects of Autism. It is about time we all gave our attention to the qualities of Autistic life, as opposed to the mythic story that has already been told. I have two Ausome Autistic children. I love them each dearly. Today, I offer two Ausome things about Autism to add to the list.
The most powerful and Ausome thing about Autism, to me, is that Autistics are deviant from the norm. I happen to have a deep appreciation for diversity and I always have. Along my personal spiritual path, I recognized early on that diversity is the essence of life. It is at the center of progress. It is the change that we all need. The difference. The curiosity. The vantage. The spark. The idea. The shift. Diversity is sacred to our survival as human beings. In fact, I am challenged to figure a more significant kind of diversity than differences in our perceptions and thinking styles, than the differences in our given brains. We need the focused and gifted minds of Autistic people, and we need to properly honor them. This world needs my young sons.
We need freedom fighters like Henry.
We need dedicated PhD students like E.
We need profound poets like Amy.
We need those kinds of minds that can triple major their way through college, like Alyssa.
I have never been surer of anything in my life. Neurodiversity is Ausome!
An easily noticed commonality spreads across the spectrum of Autistic individuals. It is a natural drive. It is perseverance. How quickly the average human simply gives up in comparison. Recognize how far Autistics have come in just the last few decades, from being hidden in institutions and under forced conformity, to tenaciously taking down such institutions (Lydia Brown) and diligently demanding acceptance (Paula C. Durbin-Westby). Autistics won’t quit, and thank goodness for it, because perseverance is a virtue. The persistence within Autistic people leads us all to wondrous places.
Mindful masters like Nick Walker,
Dauntless dancers and activists like Kassiane,
Withstanding writers like Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg,
Resistant radicals like That Autistic that Newtown Forgot,
Purposeful Professors like Elizabeth J. (Ibby) Grace,
these devoted Autistics push the rest of us and lead the way to understanding, to advancement. They have absolutely changed my whole world, and that persists in my family, and that persists unto you. Perseverance Ausome!
Though my initial intentions were to offer just two Ausome things about Autism, as I wrote this essay the truth came out, and in actuality, I gave you 14 examples. And here is one more (that’ll be 15); Autism is Ausome because Autistics are Ausome! Once you comprehend this, once you get to know them, there is no denying their truth. A heart felt thank you, to all my Autistic family and friends. You are absolutely Ausome!
Autism Positivity Day Flash Blog 
((Hugs)) and Spoons and Love!